For the Glory KC is back with the 145th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City failed once again to do what they haven't been able to do all season. String together back-to-back wins. That leaves them all but eliminated from the 2025 playoffs, simply seeking to avoid a slide that puts them at the bottom of the table. We spend just a little time on the Austin FC game (but we still had a few thoughts) and move to more pressing matters.

Both of our next conversations were triggered by a simple tweet from Andrew Weibe.

First, we talk through that Chief Soccer Officer (CSO) search update, including that it'll happen before the season is over, they are in final interviews, and the move will come from outside the organization (so no Mike Burns as CSO).

Then the last paragraph sparked a bit of a discussion online.

"CSO could make wholesale changes. Seventeen players out of contract. Two of three DP spots could be opened, all three U22."

First, the two DPs Sporting KC have, cannot be bought down. So, the implication is that Dejan Joveljic or Manu Garcia could be sold, and Weibe went on to confirm that's what he meant. So, should Joveljic be sold? If so, how much will that cost a team to pry him away? He's just 26-years-old. He's at 17 goals and counting this year. Sheena and I get into the discussion and the fan reaction around that idea. I try to break down why it might financially make some sense, but also assess the risk involved in such a move.

Finally, the KC Current continued their winning ways with their 12th straight game without a loss, including only a single draw. The game was their 9th road win of the season, an NWSL record. With the Washington Spirit also winning, they remain only 14 points clear of second place. That won't allow next weekend to end in them winning the shield, but if they beat the Spirit, it'll all but lock up the trophy.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:

• Sounders and Miami's wild Leagues Cup final
• MLS launching 'ref cam'
• Alyssa Thompson leaves NWSL for Chelsea
• Jaedyn Shaw getting traded during the podcast
• USMNT losing to South Korea

Here is a rundown of topics and start times:

• KC Cauldron Town Hall this Thursday!! - 4:00
• Sporting KC blow a lead Against Austin FC - 4:41
• A big update on the CSO hiring process - 29:26
• Should Sporting KC Sell Dejan for the Right Price? - 33:00
• Former SKC Player Movement - 44:35
• KC Current inch closer to the Shield - 46:16
• Digital Crawl - 59:05

Upcoming Games

• USMNT vs. Japan, Tues. Sept 9th at 6:30PM CDT
• KC Current vs. Washington Spirit, Sat. Sept 13th at 6:30PM
• Sporting KC @ Real Salt Lake, Sat. Sept 13th at 8:30PM
• SKC II @ North Texas SC, Sun. Sept 14th at 7:30PM

As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!

Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 144th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City broke a nearly two-month winless streak on Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids. The streak went back to their last win, also against the Rapids, on July 4th in Commerce City. And while "winless" is technically right, it was worse than that. Between victories over Colorado, Sporting KC were 0-5-1, with just a single draw against NYCFC.

The defense was still flawed, and defense often starts further up the field, so there is blame to go around. Colorado should have scored far more than the two goals they put in, if not for outstanding individual efforts from John Pulskamp, Robert Voloder and Ian James. But it was something else that stood out on Saturday.

With Manu Garcia still unavailable due to injury, Kerry Zavagnin finally used Santiago Munoz as a straight up #10. You could call it a second striker, but he was floating all over creating opportunities. He was involved in so many attacking sequences and seemed to unlock Sporting KC's creativity. Not every sequence ended with a shot, but there was so much promise.

Another move I've been asking for is not starting all three strikers together. It leaves no impact subs on the bench to play forward. With Mason Toye starting on the bench, it was a combination of him subbing on and Santi unlocking the midfield that led to the game winning goal. Munoz played a perfect ball to Toye to finished with precision to push SKC over the line for their seventh win of the season.

Of course, Sheena and I talked about a lot more Sporting KC happenings in this episode, including:

• Our favorite goal of the night (there were so many good candidates)
• Pulskamp heroics
• That James save off the line!
• Daniel Salloi showing man strength
• International callups and so much more

The KC Current did what we basically expect them to do at this point. Just keep winning. They've won twice since our last podcast and clinched a playoff spot. They aren't that far away from locking up the NWSL Shield. But ultimately, the season will be defined by what they do in the playoffs. Before we get there though, we talk through the victories over the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:

• St. Louis fire their Sporting Director
• Barbra Banda done for the year
• The USWNT game at CPKC Stadium

Here is a rundown of topics and start times:

• Sporting KC’s big comeback victory - 8:22
• SKC make moves and Intl. Call-ups in the SKC roundup - 54:24
• KC Current keep winning - 1:01:03
• Strife between ownership & the NWSL in the Current roundup - 1:18:32
• Digital Crawl - 1:26:47

Upcoming Games

• SKC II vs. Real Monarchs, Sat. Sept 6th at 12:00PM CDT
• USMNT vs. South Korea, Sat. Sept 6th at 4:00 PM
• KC Current @ Bay FC, Sat. Sept 6th at 9:00PM
• Sporting KC vs. Austin FC, Sun. Sept. 7th at 6:00PM

As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!

Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.